Belgium, (Brussels Morning Newspaper) Opposition to the EU’s planned ban on the sale of new cars with internal combustion engines continues to mount.
The Czech Republic has called a meeting on the bloc’s plan in Brussels next week, inviting transport ministers of Finland, France, Germany, Hungary, Italy, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, and Spain, according to Reuters reported on Thursday.
The planned ban is the main part of the EU’s efforts to move away from internal combustion engines towards electric vehicles.
The Czech Republic initially planned the meeting to discuss proposed rules to cut vehicle emissions of nitrogen oxides and other pollutants. Some EU member states and lobby groups called for changing the rules, stressing that the plan is unrealistic and contesting claimed benefits of the move.
According to some EU officials, the meeting will focus on the planned ban of new cars with internal combustion engines by 2035, which was put on hold after Germany pushed back against it.
Speaking at a meeting with German Minister of Digital Affairs and Transport Volker Wissing in Berlin last week, his Czech counterpart Martin Kupka noted that the Czech Republic wants to change the rules for banning the sale of new CO2-emiting cars.
Czech objection
“We will not support the limitation of combustion engines after 2035 unless there will be a clear and binding exemption for synthetic fuels,” Kupka stressed.
Also last week, Germany called for reassurances that the sale of new cars with internal combustion engines would be allowed after 2035 if the cars use CO2-neutral fuels.
Some MEPs are surprised by the growing opposition to the plan since the EC, the EU Parliament and member states agreed on new rules in 2022.
The final vote on the proposed ban was to take place this week, after which new rules are to come into force. However, the vote was canceled after Germany pushed back and has not been rescheduled.
EU officials noted that the number of EU member states opposing the planned ban is rising, stressing that the group comprises larger bloc members including Germany, Italy, and Poland, among other.
According to EU officials, opponents of the ban could gather enough support to block it.
